Cold Case Series
by BML Hillen-Keene
Summary: Chris Larabee heads a Cold Case Unit with a little help from the Afterife. Slash.
1. Episode 1

Cold Case Episode 1:  
A Gift Or A Curse (Cold Case)  
by BML Summary: After spending three months in a drunken haze after the death of his wife and child in a fire he can't prove to be arson, Chris Larabee is going back to work. But being sober isn't all it's cracked up to be.  
Open AU: Chris heads a cold case unit at the Denver PD, with a little help from the Afterlife. First Story. It's Cold Case but with a couple of twists. Two very interesting twists.  
Mild Slash: Vin/Ezra Author's Notes: A cross between Cold Case and Ghost Whisperer, all characters are from the Magnificent 7. And don't worry, there shall be lots of Ezra. Just not how you think. Lol.

Part 1

Chris Larabee was, for the first time in three months, completely sober. When his wife and son had died in a house fire, that Larabee knew to be arson, the man had fallen into a well of grief, drowning himself in whatever liquor he could find. If it hadn't been for Buck, his oldest and closest friend, he would still, right now, be drunk.

And in all honesty, he would prefer to be drunk.

When he had woken that morning, after a binge he had gone on after the massive blow-up with Buck the previous night, he had, naturally, a raging headache. He also had the desire to pull himself together and prove that his family's death had not been accidental. Chris was the head of a cold case unit, a branch of the police force that brought closure to cases that remained unsolved, anything from two to seventy years old. He worked with Buck, a bit of a ladies man, but a damn good cop. JD, an absolute whiz at finding new information, whether in old archives or on the 'net. Josiah dealt with the families involved in the cases, and Nathan dealt with any bodies they had (whether exhumed or newly discovered).

However, what Chris had not expected as he walked into his living room, holding his aching head in one hand as he grumbled about aspirin, was to find two complete strangers sitting there, lounging on his couch as if they belonged there.

"Why, it appears Mr. Larabee has made a return to sobriety. At last," a chestnut haired man drawled in a distinctly southern accent.

The other man in the room, a blond longhaired man, a little scruffy looking compared to the other, smiled slightly. "Looks like."

Larabee glared, reaching to his side for a gun he hadn't worn in months. Not surprisingly, he didn't find one. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my apartment?" he demanded to know.

"Well, had you bothered to pay any attention when we first arrived you would know the answers to both those questions," the Southern man said, looking as if he had the right to be put out by Larabee's behaviour.

"I'm a cop you know," Larabee stated.

The scruffy looking one snorted a little at that while the southern man blinked slowly before raising a hand to his mouth in mock shock. "Oh my, a man of the law. I'm absolutely terrified." The hand dropped and an elegant eyebrow rose. "Really Mr. Larabee, if you hadn't wasted three months imbibing that foul substance you call alcohol we could have been done with these formalities and could have moved onto business."

There was little Larabee, in his hung over state, could say in return, or even really make sense of. "You... What?" He knew he should be on the phone calling Buck, or the station, or something. But he had a feeling the two men in the room would not harm him. He didn't know why, but it was a feeling.

"Ez," the scruffy man said quietly.

The southern man sighed deeply. "All right." The man stood gracefully, as did the scruffy man. "My name is Ezra Standish, this is Vin Tanner. And we are your spirit guides." The man took a small bow as he finished.

Larabee blinked, and was silent for a long moment. "What?"

Ezra Standish heaved a theatrical sigh and turned to Vin Tanner. "You talk to him. He is obviously more in tune to your own form of communication." The man retook his seat on the couch.

"We're spirit guides," Vin said, his accent Texan.

"Spirit guides?" Larabee asked slowly.

Vin nodded.

"As in..."

Vin nodded.

"I need a drink," Larabee groaned. This was all some kind of hallucination. Some kind of alcohol induced dream. "I need a drink," he repeated.

The fact remained that, even after two shots of whisky, the two 'spirit guides' were still there, Ezra making derogatory comments about his choice of alcohol. He tried ignoring them, thinking that if he pretended they weren't there, they wouldn't be. Ezra kept up a running commentary on his choice of TV program, about the shampoo he used, his pictures, the colour scheme of his apartment. All the while Vin stood just in his line of sight, smiling slightly at his partner in crime.

Finally, Chris got so pissed off with the imaginary Ezra's comments that he drove his fist straight through him. Literally straight through him, and all he got in return was a raised eyebrow and the comment, "Really Mr. Larabee, resorting to violence is truly not necessary. Merely asking me to desist in talking would procure a much better response."

Vin laughed. "Doubt it Ez, you nev'r could keep yer mouth shut more'n a second a time."

Ezra glared over at Vin, and Chris stepped back, wondering why on earth his subconscious was making him see two strange men bickering in his apartment.

"Grief," he finally decided. "This is some insane way I've worked out to help me get over... Or maybe I'm just losing my mind."

"Yer not losing yer mind, Cowboy," Vin said, breaking off from bickering for an instant.

"Well, what little there is left to lose after killing off possibly all your remaining brain cells with that rotgut," Ezra added. "No, Mr. Larabee, I am afraid that we are not figments of your imagination, nor are we the remnants of some kind of bad food or alcohol in your system. Nor indeed are you losing your mind. We are quite real, Mr. Larabee."

"And we're here to help," Vin finished.

"Hmm," Chris said, sitting in his chair and burying his face in his hands.

"Ez, explain."

"We tried explaining Mr. Tanner, he doesn't want to listen." Ezra heaved a sigh at the imploring look Vin gave him. "Fine. Mr. Larabee. When your wife and son died -- and before you explode in a fit of temper, yes we do know about that -- when they died your grief allowed your mind to open up to another plane of existence. The spirit plane, apparently. Where myself and Mr. Tanner were assigned to become your spirit guides. Sort of like the intermediaries between you and the spirits. In some way, you are searching for the souls of your wife and son. There is no guarantee that we can find their souls for you, but we can try. You probably won't believe this, and I must say I can fully understand your situation..." he trailed off and shot a look at Vin, before taking a breath and continuing. "But we are real, and we are here to help."

"Help?" Chris choked out, around the lump in his throat at the mention of his dead wife and son.

"Yeah, Cowboy," Vin answered.

Chris sucked in a deep breath. "This is insane. And not happening." He got to his feet, made his way to the bedroom where he changed into his now habitual black clothing (that is habitual if he bothered to dress at all). And, ignoring the two 'spirit guides', he left his apartment and stalked down the stairs of the apartment block, angrily. He got into his car, that he had not driven in months, started the engine, glancing in the rear-view mirror, almost expecting those two figments of his warped mind to be there. But the car was empty save for himself.

Taking a deep breath, he started the car and pulled out of his parking space.

Part 2

His entrance into work was nothing short of dramatic. He stepped through the door of the Cold Case unit, silence fell like a curtain, and all eyes turned to him. Thankfully, there were only four people staring at him. The drive had lessened the insanity that had occurred at his apartment. Now just proved it. It was all just a combination of restless sleep, too much drink, and grief. A way to drive himself out of his apartment and back into the real world.

Now he really had to stop thinking about it.

"What?" he barked, annoyed at the looks, and winced inwardly when he saw Buck's face grow sad and turn away. Taking a deep breath, and rubbing his temples with one hand, he sighed. "Sorry." It was stilted, he wasn't used to apologising. "I'm here, I'm not drunk, and I'm coming back to work. Buck. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Silence answered him, everyone looking between him and Buck, until finally Buck stood. "Sure hoss."

They went into Chris' office, a small frosted glass square that was the only thing between him and the rest of his team. Chris stood beside the desk he hadn't sat behind in three months, frowning at the files sprawling over it. When he heard the door click closed behind Buck he took another deep breath and steeled himself for the biggest apology of his life. Possibly even bigger than when he had had to apologise for breaking that goddamned ugly plate Sarah's mother had given them as a wedding present.

"Buck," he began.

Buck didn't respond, and Chris could imagine his expression. He really owed Buck this apology.

"Buck, I've been an ass."

"That's true."

"And I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"That's true too."

"And I'm sorry Buck."

There was no response. "Look me in the eye when you say that and maybe I'll believe you."

Chris turned and looked Buck straight in the eye. "I'm sorry Buck. I ain't gonna promise it'll never happen again, because it probably will. But it won't be your fault, it'll be mine."

Buck studied him for a long moment, probably trying to work out if Chris was actually fully sober and sincere. Finally, he nodded slowly.

Chris let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Glad Buck was not one to hold grudges. "Been up to anything then?" he asked quietly, breaking the awkwardness he could feel coming.

"Work wise?" Buck queried, clearing his throat a little. Chris nodded. "Cleared up two cases thanks to new information JD found. That's it." He hesitated for a moment. "You sure you're ready to come back to work?"

Chris thought back to the situation this morning and nodded firmly. "Yes. I need to stop drowning in my grief and do something about it." Then he could leave the imaginary 'ghosts' well alone, and he'd be fine.  
He really needed to stop thinking about it.

Buck stared at him for a long, long time. Before stepping forward and gripping him in a huge bear hug, crushing Chris to him. Chris made an 'ouf!' sound before wriggling out of the tight grip. "Folks'll talk Buck." This got a laugh from Buck. One he hadn't realised he missed. "We good?" he asked.

Buck smiled. "We're good hoss."

Chris nodded.

Outside the little office when they came out was a lot more relaxed, as finally the remaining members of his team approached him, slowly, and a little warily. Condolences were said all round, and Chris shoved away any feelings they brought up ruthlessly and thanked them. He left the unit and made his way up to the chief of police. It took some talking (something Chris Larabee rarely did) and some intimidation (something that came naturally, and was even impressive when he looked as haggard as he did). And with the promise to attend a counselling session to make sure he was ready for duty, he was told he could start in a week.

By the time Chris pulled into his parking space at his apartment block he had almost completely forgotten about the incident this morning. It was just an unpleasant memory he had pushed aside. So there was no apprehension as he made his way into his apartment.

The living room was empty.

See, he had been right. It was all some elaborate trick conjured by his mind to get him out of the apartment and back into work, where he could make a difference. No 'ghosts' or 'spirit guides' here. With a half smirk he made his way through his apartment, took a second shower to further clear his head before making his way to the kitchen for a proper meal.

"Howdy Cowboy," came the Texas accent.

"Ah, welcome home Mr. Larabee!" came the southern cry of welcome, complete with beaming smile.

Chris opened his mouth, and closed it. Opened it again... but for the life of him he couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"I told you Mr. Tanner. You owe me five dollars now." Ezra grinned.

"Put it on my tab Ez." Vin shook his head, before turning an accusing look to Chris. "I had high hopes Cowboy." He shook his head again in disappointment.

Ezra grinned happily. "Well Mr. Larabee, how was your day? Returned to work yet? When should we expect our first assignment?" He made the word 'assignment' sound like a dirty word.

Chris closed his mouth with a snap, and felt his temperature skyrocketing as his temper rose to the forefront. The windows rattled in their panes and doors shuddered as he finally found his voice.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Part 3

Two weeks later and Chris still couldn't seem to shake the ghosts. And he had tried everything he could think of. He had ignored them for three days, but he couldn't block out that southern drawl and the running commentary it gave, or the silent presence of the Texan. Finally, when he couldn't ignore them any more, he had told them to leave, repeatedly. To which he had gotten laughs and repeated 'no's.

At the mandatory counselling session, he had tactfully brought up the subject, asking the doctor whether or not it was possible to conjure up... 'ghosts' to help with grief. The answer he had gotten hadn't helped much. Apparently, sometimes those suffering with grief will see the loved ones they lost. Not some strangers. Who were in fact in that very room. Ezra reading the doctor's notes over his shoulders, while Vin leaned against the wall, eyes trained on Chris. Who was doing his level best to ignore them.

He had even resorted to calling in a priest to perform an exorcism. All the while growing more and more pissed off when the 'ghosts' sat on his couch and actually laughed as the priest prayed and scattered holy water and some ash stuff all over the apartment. After the priest had left, promising that now no ghosts could possibly be in the apartment, Chris had spun to the two on his couch.

"I am really losing my mind," he said. It was the only logical explanation.

"No, Cowboy, yer not," Vin told him, conviction in his tone.

"Exorcisms only work, Mr. Larabee, if the apparitions in a place or person are bound in some way to that place or person. As we are not bound to this place, nor in possession of you, exorcism will not work," Ezra explained, voice gentle.

"We're not going to leave Cowboy," Vin added.

Chris rubbed between his eyes at the muted thumping he could feel there. Missing the concerned looks shared by the ghosts. All he knew was that he needed to get rid of them before he started work properly at the end of the week.

Two weeks after that disaster, Chris was back at work, and struggling through an old suicide case that the family continued to protest was murder. The reason he was struggling was because he had two very unwelcome visitors in his office, and his team was afraid to come inside for fear of getting their heads chewed off. He knew his behaviour was irrational, but he really couldn't think of any way to stop. It was hardly like he could just turn to them and say, "Oh, I'm sorry I've been acting like an 'ornery mule lately, but you see, I have two 'spirit guides' following me around. One who talks a mile a minute and doesn't know when to shut up, and the other that just stares at you."

Yes, that would go over very well.

And to top it all off, he had another goddamned headache!

"You know, we could help," Vin said after a long stretch of silence.

Chris looked over, glaring. "Sure," he growled.

Ezra and Vin shared a look before Ezra took over the dialogue. "Mr. Larabee, you really are going to have to stop fighting the truth, and the inevitable. We are here, and we are not leaving. Though I must say I wouldn't mind, you are hardly the most interesting conversationalist I've ever met. However, we cannot leave. Those headaches--"

"Shut up," Chris growled.

Ezra paused, pursing his lips for a moment before continuing, "Those headaches you've been experiencing are a direct result of your not accepting us as we are. You're leaving yourself open to attack from the spirit plane. That is why we were assigned to you Chris, we keep the vengeful spirits from getting in and destroying your mind... supposedly, anyway."

"But if you don't let us, we can't do our job," Vin added quietly.

Chris sucked in a breath. "I have a headache because you two won't just disappear down whatever holes you crawled out of," he hissed out.

Ezra heaved a sigh. "That's it. Vin, I'm leaving," he said, and vanished.

Vin sighed deeply. "Cowboy, listen, you're going to have to trust us at some point. You don't want to alienate Ez, trust me. It's not worth the consequences." The two long words were sounded out, like he had only heard them spoken and was a little unsure of their usage.

"Trust you? Sure. Trust some figment of my imagination, or 'ghosts' or 'spirit guides' or whatever you are. Yeah. Now, you find out whether this guy killed himself or if he was murdered and I might be willing to listen," Chris spat.

"Wha's his name?" Vin asked.

"Samuel Granger," Chris smirked.

Vin nodded and vanished. And Chris was surprised. Shaking his head, he went back to his notes, ignoring the feeling of unease that swept through him when he recalled Ezra's words, and Vin's. They weren't real, he wasn't going crazy. He just couldn't work out how to get rid of them. But he would.

That evening he was sitting on his couch, a mug of coffee in front of him so he wouldn't be tempted to get a shot of whisky to wet his throat. He hadn't been bothered for the rest of the day surprisingly. Though his headache hadn't let up, which made him think of Ezra's words. The fact that he had gotten rid of the 'ghosts' had left him elated for a time. But sitting in his now silent apartment, he found he actually missed the constant chatter from Ezra, and the bickering sessions the two engaged in regularly. They were almost like family in their actions.

Forcing his thoughts away from them, he concentrated on his work. "Spend a month wishing they'd go away, and when they do you want 'em back. You really are losing your mind," he muttered to himself.  
"Aw, Mr. Tanner, it appears Mr. Larabee has missed us." The southern accent was distinctly sarcastic.

"'ppears so," Vin smiled.

"Now, if he would care to make an apology, I might be persuaded to reveal the information I managed to glean from Samuel Granger."

Chris looked at him suspiciously.

"Ez," Vin warned.

Ezra huffed slightly. "I refuse to be treated like that Mr. Tanner, as you well know! Either he apologises for the way he behaved or I shall not breathe a word of what truly happened, and he can puzzle through this case for as long as it takes for him to close it again."

"'is brother kilt him," Vin stated.

Ezra blinked before turning an incredibly wounded look at Vin. He opened his mouth to say something, most likely high dramatic that would have all ended in tears, had Chris not suddenly found something that made this accusation make perfect sense. "Good God... It was!" he breathed. He was reaching for the phone and dialling Buck's number in an instant.

As he spoke with Buck, Ezra turned to Vin. "Not even a thank you, did you notice? Not one expression of gratitude for all my hard work."

"Our hard work," Vin corrected, more out of habit than actually annoyed by the omission.  
"Yes, well. Not one word, and yet he will get all the credit for this, and he still doesn't believe we are who and what we say we are." Ezra was annoyed now, very annoyed.

Vin nodded, knowing better than to interrupt.

Chris rubbed his head again as he put down the phone, and Ezra's lips tightened and he fell silent. Vin shook his head but said nothing, knowing there was no point. 'You're being stubborn Cowboy,' he thought with a sigh. 'An' Ez ain't gonna wait much longer for ya to come to yer senses.'

Part 4

The case was wrapped up within a week; the brother had indeed killed Samuel Granger and then made it look like a suicide. Because he was jealous. It was a sad, sad day when you killed your own brother over jealousy. Chris had been feeling surprisingly good all day, he hadn't had one headache, nor had he had those two irritating ghosts hanging about. All in all, for the first time in months, it was a good day.

He had gone out with the others, they had forgone the bar, Chris knew it was because of the temptation of drink, and they didn't want him to get into that state again, so he didn't complain when they stopped at a street Chinese stall. Enjoying, for the first time since his family's death, the way Buck and JD horsed around, laughing and having fun, the way Nathan bitched about the food, and how unhealthy it actually was, all the while eating it like it was his last meal. And the way Josiah spouted obscure passages of the bible, just to get their perturbed reactions.

Yes. It was a good day.

And it stayed a good day until he walked into his apartment to be faced with Vin, who looked to be caught between the emotion of panic and pure anger. Chris was shocked when he actually felt Vin touch him, physically catch hold of his arm. A surprisingly tight hold for someone who was supposedly a ghost and unable to touch things.

"Come with me," Vin said, his teeth clenched.

Chris pulled back, annoyed when the grip didn't fade.

"It's your fault this happened. Come with me!"

"My fault what?" Chris backed off again, only to be followed, Vin's face in his.

"We're going, and you don't have a say. I'm going to make you believe."

Before Chris could formulate a reply, he was no longer in his apartment, but somewhere else. It didn't have any form to it, it just was, kind of a shimmer that was everything and absolutely nothing all at once. When he pulled back again he found Vin had already released him. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded to know.

"Your headache's gone isn't it?" Vin asked, his voice tight.

Chris nodded, bewildered.

"This is why." Vin pointed to the side. Chris looked, and his eyes widened when he saw Ezra, on the ground, curled up as tightly as he could pull himself, covered in a sheen of sweat, and convulsing. Fading in and out, as he did.

"What?" he breathed out.

"He's fading because of you. Do something," Vin demanded, leaving Chris to move beside Ezra.

Chris watched as Vin moved to take Ezra's hand, only to have it pass straight through his. Chris had seen them touch before, so he couldn't think why they couldn't do it now. Vin sat back, his face pained as he watched Ezra struggle with himself. It was almost as if he was in some kind of intense pain. But if he wasn't real then how could he--?

"Stop it!" Vin snapped. "He is real! We both are! Now start believing it!"

Chris shook his head, closed his eyes for a moment, hoping when he opened them all this would just be gone. But it wasn't; instead, there was more. A black shadow was crouching over Ezra, reaching inside his head and his chest.

Ezra screamed, a muted sound, but it hurt Chris to hear it.

"What is that?" he asked in a whisper.

Vin didn't look at him, closing his own eyes, reaching out to touch Ezra again only to have his hands pass through him. "That is what has been giving you the headaches. If you'd just believed we could have stopped it. Could have stopped this." Vin opened his eyes, looking at Chris. "You have to do something."

Chris saw it then; saw the same kind of love he carried for his wife and son shining in Vin's eyes. And he knew then that this was real. That kind of emotion couldn't be faked. "How?" he asked, his voice suddenly raspy.

"Just believe," Vin whispered. "Ez..." he reached out again, but Ezra screamed, his body jerking suddenly, painfully, and his emerald eyes shot open. And he screamed again, and again. Vin got to his feet angrily, and threw himself on the shadow impaling his love.

And that was all Chris saw, as that shimmering world faded and he was back in his apartment, staring at the ceiling. He lay there, just breathing for a long few minutes, before finally pushing himself to his feet. On the couch sat Vin and Ezra. If it wasn't for the fact that Ezra looked like death warmed up (despite the fact he was dead), Chris wouldn't have believed what he had just experienced.

"Thanks Cowboy," Vin nodded to him.

Chris took a seat in his chair and looked at the ghosts in front of him, eyeing each one for a long moment. "Mind explaining what just happened there?" he asked.

Vin looked at Ezra, who shrugged slightly.

"That was a..." Vin looked to Ezra for a suitable word.

"Malevolent," Ezra helpfully supplied, his voice weak.

"Spirit. One of the things people like you have us to protect you against."

"People like me?" Chris questioned.

"People whose minds are open to the spirit world," Ezra answered, coughing a little before continuing.

"Like I told you before, somehow the loss of your family made you open your mind to the spirit world, whether in some last ditch effort to find them, or something else. But once it opens to our world it can't be closed. So people like you, who have this connection to the spiritual plane, need to have 'spirit guides' to stop malevolent spirits invading your mind and killing you, or possessing you, or something along those lines. I wasn't really paying attention when it was explained to me. The point is that you need us to stop that happening, and neither you nor we can change that."

"So why--?" he began.

"Because you wouldn't believe. As much as he blusters, Ez isn't about to let anything in to screw up your head. He enjoys doing that too much himself." Vin smiled at Ezra, and Chris saw that love again.

"But now that I do believe you are ghosts, or whatever?" Chris asked.

"That won't happen again, because if need be we can draw on you to stop it," Ezra said, before a barely perceptible shudder rippled through him. "I sincerely hope," he added.

"It won't," Vin stated firmly. The 'I won't let it' was clearly heard though never spoken.

Chris sat back in the chair, brows furrowing. "So what now?" he asked.

Vin shrugged. "You go to work, live your life, and we help."

"With what exactly? I can't really see you two doing housework."

"With your cases. We can reach the spirits of those you need to find. Help you solve them." Vin shrugged.

Ezra worried his lower lip for a moment. "And we could try to find your wife and son."

Chris shot him a dark look, before some hope blossomed there. "You could?"

Vin nodded slowly.

"I could really find out what happened," he breathed.

"There's no guarantee Cowboy. We could search the spirit plane for years and not find them," Vin warned.

Chris looked at him, expression very serious, determination in his eyes. "Then we search for years. Cases can be solved years after the actual events. I know that better than anybody," he said, his tone brooking no argument.

"Sure Cowboy," Vin nodded, smiling slightly.

Chris got to his feet. "Seeing as you're obviously gonna be around for a while, let's get one thing straight. Don't call me 'Cowboy', cowboy."

Vin grinned as Chris left the room, but never agreed.

"Vin..." Ezra began softly when Chris was gone.

"Hmm?" Vin asked, reaching over to stroke Ezra's hair.

"I'm not going to enjoy this job am I?" he asked with a put upon sigh.

Vin smiled. "Oh, I don't know Ez. Looks like it might be real easy to rile ole Chris up. An' I know how much you like rilin' up 'authority figures'."

Ezra bit back a snort. "Perhaps."

"Hmm." With a firm grip Vin caught Ezra's chin and pulled it round until their lips met in a chaste kiss. Vin pulled back. "Never do that again," he said softly, but steel underlined it.

Ezra cocked his head slightly to the side and smiled. "Yes Vin."

Vin didn't even have to say how much hearing Ezra say his name meant to him, he pulled him back in for another kiss, one Ezra returned with equal vigour. And the human plane melted from around them to the shimmering world of the spirits.

End Episode 1 Rules for this AU:  
1. Vin and Ezra are ghosts (can be un-slashed, but must remain very close friends.  
2. They have no previous connection with the others. This is their first time working together.  
Currently Chris is the only one who can see them and knows about them. I am currently working on a second story where the others find out about them, it also contains Vin and Ezra's history. But after that's done feel perfectly free to borrow and do with as you wish. (Just let me know so I can read them. ;) 


	2. Episode 4

Cold Case Episode 4:  
Revealing The Truth -- Part 1 (Cold Case)  
by BML Summary: Chris is hurtling straight into trouble on a murder investigation; it's up to Ezra to get him out of it.  
Open AU: Chris heads a cold case unit at the Denver PD, with a little help from the Afterlife.  
Mild Slash: Vin/Ezra Author's Notes: This didn't work as Episode 2. Chris, Vin and Ezra needed to be a little more used to each other before the others found out. I will go back at some point and fill in these two episodes, but not right now. Enjoy.

Part 1

Chris's eye was starting to twitch, and he really only had himself to blame. No, scratch that, he only had that damnable southern ghost to blame. Said ghost was sitting, just in his peripheral vision, shuffling a deck of cards, dressed in clothes that were reminiscent of an old west gambler.

At first it hadn't been too bad, until Ezra had gotten up and stood behind him, scanning the report he was trying to read, making comments on the word usage until Chris had growled at him to go away. So Ezra had reclaimed his seat. Only now Chris was waiting for the usual running commentary, the complaining, the whining; the general annoyance that was Ezra most days when he was working. But there was nothing aside from the sound of the cards softly hitting each other as they were manipulated by skilful hands.

And it all made Chris Larabee's eye twitch

"Goddamn it, would you stop!" he hissed, fighting to keep his voice down. He really didn't need the others to think he was crazy, they were already wary enough of him as it was.

"But Mr. Larabee, I am merely sitting here, silently I might add -- a most unusual state for me you must agree -- not bothering you at all. What more could you possibly ask for?" Ezra asked, a perfectly innocent look sculpted on his face.

The sound Chris made was a cross between a groan and a sigh. "Can't you go and do some sort of ghost thing like Vin?" Chris liked Vin, Vin was quiet and unobtrusive if he was here.

Ezra slowly and deliberately blinked at him, before glancing round the office, as if the answer should be absolutely obvious. "But I am doing 'some sort of ghost thing' Chris. Right at this moment I am haunting your office." He shrugged slightly. "I would have thought it perfectly obvious." He smiled winningly and started shuffling again.

"Can't you go haunt somewhere else?" he wasn't pleading, he refused to plead with the irritating apparition.

Ezra paused in his shuffling to consider this. "No," he stated simply.

Chris clenched his jaw. "Ezra," he growled warningly.

Ezra chuckled at his dark expression. "Need I remind you, Chris, that I am a ghost, therefore I am not alive. Hence you cannot order me to do anything." Before Chris had a chance to formulate a response, Ezra's head had turned to the exact spot Vin materialised an instant later.

"Did you find her?" Chris demanded to know, keeping his voice down so his team couldn't hear him (he hoped).

Vin shook his head. "Didn't find her, but I did find something."

"Well?" Chris asked, exasperated now. Having ghosts around wasn't good for him, no matter how useful they could be.

Ezra stood. "Vin?" he asked.

Vin looked at him and nodded slowly, but there was concern in his eyes. "Careful Ez," was all he said.

Ezra grinned at him, that cock-sure grin. "I always am." With a slight nod to Chris, Ezra vanished.

Chris decided he would never get used to that, not when they looked so real the rest of the time. Yes, he knew they were ghosts, that thought was always floating round in the back of his head, but sometimes they just seemed so real, so alive, in the way they acted. "What did you find?" he asked.

Vin dropped into the chair across from him. "She wasn't the only one."

"What?" Chris frowned. "You mean whoever killed Emma Carter killed someone else?"

Vin nodded.

Chris closed his eyes as he absorbed this. "Shit."

Vin nodded.

"Is Ezra going to get much sense out of her?" he questioned, knowing the other ghost normally had to puzzle through displaced images and memories the broken spirits showed him.

"Don't know Cowboy," Vin answered, knowing his concern was easily read.

Part 2

The spirit world was very different to the human world, and if Ezra had to make a choice he'd prefer to remain in the human world. But he couldn't communicate with any other spirits, save Vin, on that plane of existence. So he returned, because this was his part of the job they had been assigned.

The spirit before him was of a girl, in her teens, battered and bloody, ragged hair hiding her face as her arms and legs strove to hide her nakedness.

As much as Ezra wanted to put his coat around her, to offer her some form of comfort, he knew it would be useless, the coat would vanish the instant it touched her skin, because that was all this spirit knew. Nakedness and pain.

So Ezra knelt before her and slowly reached out his hand, grimacing in sympathy as she flinched from him. He rested his hand on the side of her head, palm covering her ear, thumb brushing her eye, fingers softly stroking her hair. "Let me in little one. I can help," he whispered.

And the connection was made.

Spirit Commune It was dark and she hurt. All over. Wrists torn through fighting the ropes. Mouth bloody because the leather between her teeth was so tight. Blinded by the course cloth over her eyes.

She wanted to go home.  
Noise

Oh God -- not again, not again┘

Arms free now, try to cover, try to hide.

No!No!No!

Please┘ please no┘ "Shhh! my princess. It will all be over soon, soon princess. Just a little longer."

"Please┘ I┘ I wanna┘ I┘"

"Of course princess, I know exactly what you want."

"m┘ m┘ mumm--"

"No princess. I know what you want."

"N┘ no┘ please┘ no┘"

"Yes"  
Walking with friends, saying goodbye, plans for tomorrow. Going home. At the door.

Noise!

Somebody's there!

Oh God!  
"It's time now princess. Time to see."

Oh God NO!  
End Spirit Commune

Ezra pulled back, eyes wide and face pale, his breathing shaky. Trying to get to his feet was a mistake, and he would have fallen on his nicely shaped behind if Vin's strong, sure hands hadn't caught him, letting him catch his balance.

"All right Ez?" the Texan asked quietly, almost a whisper.

Ezra looked back at the girl and nodded slowly.

"Didya get anything?"

Ezra considered for a moment before he found his voice. "Possibly Vin, possibly." He forced his eyes away from the girl to rest on Vin. "But I may need to commune again."

Vin nodded.

"Shall we inform Mr. Larabee of our findings?" Ezra made an effort to straighten his jacket.

"Reckon so."

All the while Vin had kept a hold on Ezra's arm, knowing the other was always unsteady after a commune, but especially so after a bad one.

Chris almost jumped as the two ghosts materialised in front of him. Almost. But to cover for this he glared at them. Until he saw that Vin was still holding Ezra's arm. For lovers, the two barely touched for lengthy periods of time. A clap to the shoulder, or a hand in getting to their feet, but not like Vin was doing now, even if it was just offering comfort or support.

Ezra had rather briefly (for Ezra) explained that when they had lived, relationships like theirs had been an uncommon sight and not widely spoken of, a crime against God and the government. So displays of affection, or touching were out of the question completely, unless they wanted to be tarred and feather, or at worst, hung. It didn't mean that they did not feel strongly towards each other, they just showed it in more subtle ways.

For Vin to still be holding onto Ezra meant it had been a bad 'commune' (Chris didn't even bother trying to make sense of that). It wasn't a truly unspeakable one or Vin would have come alone.

"Well?" he asked.

"He held her in some kind of room, she was blindfolded most of the time, bound, raped and tortured. He called her 'princess'," was Ezra's report.

Chris winced at the thought. "Nothing that can identify whoever it was?" he asked.

Ezra shook his head. "No, further communes may be required before there are any real results."

"Are you sure this other spirit was killed by the same person?" Chris turned to Vin for the answer.

Vin nodded. "Yup, picked her up when I found Emma Carter's trail. She's got the same darkness 'round her that I'm following."

Chris sighed deeply. "Thanks. I'll try to steer the search towards a man who likes to call girls 'princess'."

Vin nodded.

"You're quite welcome Mr. Larabee." Ezra smiled winningly, if a little tiredly. "Now, if neither of you mind, I am going to find a more leisurely pursuit with which to occupy my time." And with that, a two fingered tip to an imaginary hat, Ezra vanished.

Chris looked to Vin for an explanation. Vin smiled in return. "He's goin' to sleep."

Chris shook his head and stood, gathering a few notes he had made without even realising as he had listened to Ezra. He went to the door and opened it.

"Guys," he called, waiting until all heads swivelled to him. "Male, 35-40 when the murder was committed. There could be more murders. JD, get searching the archives. Buck, recheck the suspects, and cross check any if JD comes up with anything. Josiah, go back to the family, find out if they can remember anyone hanging around in that age bracket."

"We've asked them before Chris," Josiah mentioned.

Chris nodded. "I know, it's a long shot, but it just might pan out."

"This another one of them 'feelings'?" Buck asked. They all knew Chris was an A-class profiler, but lately all his 'feelings' or 'hunches' had been eerily on the mark every time.

Chris nodded, turning back to his office. He would need to consider the man's use of the word 'princess'. "I'll get back to you if I come up with anything else. I'll have the written profile out to you in an hour," he told them.

His team shared a long look with each other as he disappeared into his office before splitting up to do their separate searches.

Part 3

Three days later Ezra had managed to glean just a little more information from the girl. JD had come up with two other unsolved murders from around the same time involving young girls, each found in such different places and in such different ways no connection was made, nor even seemed likely. He had also found a missing persons, an Abigail Hewitt, who turned out to be the spirit Ezra was communing with.  
Vin swore he was closer than ever to finding Emma Carter and the other two murder victims.

The search had narrowed down to three suspects, none of whom had any obvious links to all the victims, but they were hoping something would come up. Chris was sitting in the observation room; he rarely took interviews himself, preferring instead, to let Buck and Josiah ask the questions. They had the most interesting 'good cop bad cop' routine he had ever witnessed. He watched the suspect's reactions, enjoying the freedom to dwell on each one instead of coming up with the next question to ask. If he needed anything clarified, all he had to do was hit the button that opened the little earpieces they wore to him and he could tell them what he needed.

Ezra was lounging on the table with said button. "It's not him," he stated.

Chris growled, glad he was alone. "How do you know, I thought you never saw a face?"

"I didn't," Ezra agreed, but he was frowning. "But I am sure there is something I am missing."

"When Vin finds Emma Carter, or one of the others it'll be easier."

Ezra shook his head. "No, they won't help. Abigail Hewitt holds the key to this whole thing. I just haven't been able to tap into the correct memories yet."

Chris frowned at this, and looked at the ghost questioningly. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Merely a feeling I get every time I commune with her. I cannot place it, but it's important somehow." Ezra shrugged and looked back into the interview room.

"Reckon I should go see Abigail's uncle then -- he hasn't moved since she went missing, maybe there'll be some kind of clue," Chris reasoned.

Ezra shrugged again. "Perhaps," was his only response.

Chris hit the button to the earpieces. "There's nothing here boys, leave it alone."

It didn't take long to wrap up the interview and send the man on his way. Buck and Josiah joined Chris in the observation room.

"What makes him not fit the profile any more?" Buck asked curiously.

Chris shook his head, avoiding the temptation to look over at Ezra. "Just a feeling," he said.

Josiah nodded sagely. "You've been having a lot of those lately, brother." He sounded as if he knew something, though Chris was sure he had been careful enough. But with Ezra trying to smother a grin with his hand just on the edge of his vision he was beginning to wonder.

"So?" he asked, a little more confrontational than he had originally intended.

Josiah raised his hands peaceably. "Just making an observation," he said.

Chris didn't bother answering, just turned away, heading back towards his office.

"Chris?" Buck called after him.

"Go home boys, I need to rework the profile," he called back.

Buck frowned, but there was little he could really say. Chris wasn't drinking, and he actually seemed much more on top of his game than ever. But there was just something off about all this, that just didn't fit.

"Let's go home brother, he'll tell us when he's ready," Josiah said, clapping a hand on Buck's shoulder, before heading towards his desk.

Buck blinked at Josiah's back. "Tell us what?" he wanted to know.

"Whatever's got him wound tighter than a spring," Josiah called back with a grin.

Buck heaved a sigh and cast a look towards Chris's office. "That'd be nice."

Part 4

"Mr. Larabee, I don't think this is a wise idea," Ezra said, twisting in the car seat to look at Chris. Chris found it endlessly (though inwardly) amusing that when travelling in the car with him, Ezra and Vin looked like they were wearing seatbelts.

"Look, Ez, you said yourself that I needed to check this guy out. That's what I'm doing," Chris said, smirking a little.

"I didn't mean for you to go alone, without some kind of backup. Isn't it against some kind of rule to go alone?" Ezra asked.

Chris actually laughed at that. "This coming from the ghost dressed like a gambler? I would have thought you enjoyed breaking the rules."

Ezra looked affronted, crossing his arms. "I will have you know that gambling is done by a strict set of rules, failure to comply by which normally ends up with a decorative new hole in your jacket. I will also have you know, that I do not have to cheat, I happen to possess a God-given talent."

Chris flicked his eyes to the southern ghost. "Is that what you were when you were alive?"

Ezra blinked very slowly, looking a little surprised that Chris didn't seem to know, or that he hadn't mentioned it before now. He nodded. "I was."

"That how you died? Someone accused you of cheating?"

"That, Mr. Larabee, is a personal question. And one I do not wish to answer. One does not ask the deceased how they died."

"You do."

Ezra heaved a put-upon sigh. "It's hardly the same thing. I do hate to compare myself to the law, but I ask those questions to discover the truth; because since Mr. Tanner and I came to you, that has been my role. If left to my own devices I would most certainly not ask why or how a fellow spirit lost their lives."

Chris was silent for a moment, taking a corner. "So what was Vin when he was alive?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Vin was a tracker, a bounty hunter by trade. One of the best, by all accounts," Ezra replied after a long silence.

"So how on earth did you two meet up, let alone start a relationship?" Chris watched as Ezra tensed just a little at the word relationship, he had noticed the ghost did so every time his relations to Vin were brought up. He put it down to what Ezra had told him before, that when they were alive such things were not discussed, or mentioned.

Ezra shrugged slowly, and smiled a little. "One might call it fate. I call it an incredible stroke of luck." That was his only response.

After a few blocks in unusual silence Ezra turned to Chris. "I'm going to try one more commune. There's just something not right about this. I shall endeavour to return as soon as possible." He vanished immediately.

Chris shook his head, for someone who complained so much about being a spirit guide, Ezra did take his job very seriously. A few turns later and Chris pulled up outside Mr. Aaron Hewitt's home.

Getting out of the car he looked at the house and garden. It didn't stand out too much, but was just different enough. Nothing outside normal. Which had always set Chris's teeth on edge. The perfectly normal were always the ones to watch out for. Going to the front door he rang the doorbell three times and stepped back to wait, fishing out his police I.D. The door opened a minute or so later.

"Yes?"

"Detective Larabee of the Denver PD, Cold Case unit. I'm here to clear up some things regarding your niece's disappearance fifteen years ago," Chris said, watching the man.

He hesitated for the barest of instants before nodding and opening the door further. "Of course detective. Come on in."

Chris was led into the living room and waved to the seat. It was surprisingly clean and well kept for a single man.

"Don't know that there's a lot I can tell you. Abby just up and vanished one day. She was never quite the same after her parents passed. I guess she just ran away. Have you any more news on her?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Something's not right Cowboy," Vin said suddenly, having just returned from another search in the spirit world.

"Not as such. We're looking into her disappearance in relation to a murder that took place around that time," Chris said, silently willing Vin to continue.

"There's a spirit here. Not dead, but close to it. I'm not sure where exactly, but in this house," Vin told him.

"Mr. Hewitt, would you mind if I used your bathroom?" Chris asked.

"Sure, up the stairs, you can't miss it. Would you like anything to drink?" The man didn't sound like he was hiding anything, though if he was guilty (which was looking more and more likely by the second) he had had fifteen years to work on his act.

"No, thank you."

"Well, I would like a brew." Hewitt got up and headed to the kitchen while Chris went to the hall.

"Where?" he hissed to Vin.

"Give me a second Chris, I'm a ghost, not a psychic." Vin looked around, before he finally located a trail Chris could not see. "There." He pointed to the door under the stairs, that most likely led to the basement. Chris nodded and made his way towards it.

Ezra stumbled back from Abigail Hewitt, gasping in a breath as he finally realised the truth. "Chris!" he whispered, and materialised in the human plane.

When he arrived he found Chris and Vin in the basement of a house, looking at a young girl, bound, blindfolded and naked. Well, so much for informing Chris of this development.

"Chris!" Vin suddenly cried.

Chris turned from the girl to the stairs, just as a gun went off. Chris stumbled back, his hand becoming slippery with blood as he touched his chest.

Vin and Ezra shared a horrified look as Chris collapsed, because both knew there was nothing they could do just then to help.

"Sorry detective. I can't let you live now you know," Hewitt said, sounding anything but sorry.

"You bastard," Chris spat, spittle and blood on his lips.

"Stay with him, Vin. I'll go get the cavalry," Ezra said.

"How? They can't see you," Vin reminded him.

"I'll manage. You just keep him in the land of the living," Ezra told him firmly.

Vin gave him a weak smile. "Sure Ez, take the easy job why don'tcha."

Ezra gave him a tip of his imaginary hat and was gone. Vin turned back to Chris as the door to the basement slammed shut, leaving them in the dark. Chris bleeding on the floor, the girl sobbing uncontrollably, and Vin without a clue how to fix it.

To Be Continued (in Episode 5: Revealing The Truth -- Part 2)

Evil? Why yes, I am. But this a double bill, so just go back and click on to the next episode. 


	3. Episode 5

Cold Case Episode 5:  
Revealing The Truth -- Part 2 (Cold Case)  
by BML Summary: Chris is dying. Can Ezra really summon the cavalry in time? And just how does he plan to do it? And how can Vin keep Chris in the 'land of the living'? Secrets revealed. The past uncovered. Second part of a Double Bill.  
Open AU: Chris heads a cold case unit at the Denver PD, with a little help from the Afterlife.  
Mild Slash: Vin/Ezra Author's Notes: There now, were you really worried at the end of the last one? Good, you should be. Here comes the promised Vin/Ezra past, and the others finding out, etc. Personally I have 10 episodes planned out that will number 1-10 eventually, but as my laptop actually died on me and I am using my little brother's computer (which I won't be able to use when I return to England and uni) don't expect the other seven episodes any time soon (unless someone is extra nice and buys me a new laptop for my birthday today, lol.)

Part 1

Chris Larabee's Cold Case team weren't idiots (despite how they sometimes acted). They all knew something was wrong with their leader. They just couldn't work out what it was. It was now coming up to six months since Sarah and Adam had died, two months since he had returned fully to work, and none of them were sure just when this madness had begun.

"I've seen him, talking, in his office. But not like how you talk to yourself. It was like he was talking to someone else, listening to someone. But there was no one there," JD said quietly. He looked up to Chris, so this behaviour confused him greatly.

Everyone looked to Nathan Jackson, who held his hands up. "I'm a forensic scientist, ask me about physical stuff, fine I can help. But I don't know nothing 'bout the mind."

All eyes swivelled to Josiah, who, next to Chris knew all there was to know about the human psyche.

"Schizophrenia," the big man rumbled.

Buck and JD exchanged a look before sending twin looks of disbelief to Josiah.

Josiah shrugged. "You wanted an explanation and I provided it."

"Could it be some side effect from losing Sarah and Adam?" Nathan asked, shooting an apologetic look to Buck; they had all suffered in the wake of their deaths, but Buck had borne the brunt of Chris' grief.

Buck looked saddened. "If he was still drinking and acting irrational, I'd agree with that. But he's not drinking too much, the odd beer with us. He's not turning up to work hung-over. In fact, he's been on the top of his game since he came back to work." Buck shrugged helplessly.

"So why are we worried?" Nathan asked. He was the only member of the team who did not spend all his time in the Cold Case unit, being that he was the only forensic pathologist in the whole precinct.

"Because it just isn't Chris. Sure he's broody and mysterious, but he doesn't talk to thin air. He's a bloody good profiler, but these 'feelings' of his are starting to weird me out. Chris has never relied on 'feelings' or 'hunches'. Sure he has them, but he never sends us off on one until he's had it completely checked out first. And he's been right every single time." Buck was deadly serious.

"Mayhaps brother Chris has developed psychic abilities," Josiah offered.

Nathan snorted. "You can't believe that Josiah?" he said.

"Why not? There are stranger things in the world. And the police have more than once used the aid of a psychic to help find missing children and the like," Josiah stated calmly.

"Don't you need to have like a near-death experience to become psychic? Can psychics see ghosts? Or is it the future they can see? Josiah?" JD questioned, in his excitable exuberant way he possessed when something had sparked his interest.

Josiah laughed. "I don't know son, maybe."

"This is crazy talk, ya hear me," Nathan stated, shaking his head, but he was smiling a little over the gullibility of JD, as was Buck, who shared Nathan's thoughts on the matter of psychics.

"Hell Nathan," Buck said, slapping JD on the back companionably. "We're a whole bunch o' crazy here."

It was to this that Ezra materialised. He couldn't prevent his nose wrinkling a little at the uncouth behaviour. Though, having lived with Vin for as long as he had, one would think he'd have been well used to it by now. "Wonderful," he muttered. He glanced round the room, but found nothing he could use to attract any attention. His eyes landed finally on the room's occupants.

Ezra had spent a great deal of time studying these four men, more out of complete boredom than anything else. He was naturally good at reading people. Vin had told him he could take the measure of a man a mile away and be dead to rights every time.

"Good Lord, I hope this works."

He knew he'd picked the right person, now he just had to find out if he could successfully 'borrow' their body for a time. Gathering himself he stood behind his chosen person and without really knowing how he did it, he passed inside of them.

"Mr. Wilmington, if you do not desist in your thumping, I fear young Mr. Dunne may suffer from a spinal injury."

His words were greeted by shocked silence.

"JD?" Buck found his voice first.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Wilmington. My name is Ezra Standish, and I have temporarily taken possession of Mr. Dunne's body in order to relay to you that Mr. Larabee is in grave danger. He has been shot and is currently in the cellar of one Aaron Hewitt, Abigail Hewitt's uncle." Ezra made JD stand, surprised at just how difficult it actually was to make a living body move where it was supposed to.

"Ok JD, funny -- you can stop now," Buck laughed nervously.

Ezra turned to him and made JD's eyes narrow at him. "Mr. Wilmington, do I sound like Mr. Dunne? Do I act like him? Would he joke about Chris being in danger?" Ezra shook JD's head. "You aren't the most open minded person in the world, but I know you wouldn't leave Chris or a young girl to die merely because you do not believe in the concept of ghosts and psychics. Now, I am going to walk Mr. Dunne out of here, and I hope to see you all down at those contraptions you call 'cars'."

With that said, JD's body made an un-JD like flourish and turned. Ezra made his way hurriedly, but cautiously, still not entirely in tune to how the body worked. He reached the cars, four rather horrible looking cars (in regards to the sports cars Ezra had seen). But no one was there.

"Wonderful," he muttered to himself. He looked at the cars. Could he drive one? He had observed Chris driving and it hardly seemed the most difficult thing to accomplish. As he was making up his mind he heard a cough behind him. He turned to find Buck, Josiah and Nathan standing there.

"So where exactly is Chris?" Nathan asked.

Ezra felt JD's body slump as relief washed through him.

Part 2

"Ok Cowboy?" Vin asked.

Chris coughed. "The girl?"

"Frightened, but she'll be fine."

"Good."

"Ya gotta stay awake, Cowboy."

What could have been a laugh came from Chris. "Any ideas?"

Vin looked around the darkened room. "Nope. Ez is much better at this kinda thing."

Chris coughed again. "Tell me... about you and Ezra... how did ya meet?" he coughed again. "He said it was luck."

Vin smiled at that. "Ok Cowboy. Just remember I ain't that good with words. That's Ezra's department." The ghost took a deep breath. "When I was 'bout 25 or so, I was a bounty hunter, framed up for murder with a bounty on my own head. Ezra calls it irony, I reckon it prob'ly is, iffen I knew exactly what it meant." Vin paused as Chris choked out a laugh.

"So I was out in the old territories, what used to be native land. I stopped in a saloon for a drink and to rest my horse, and just sort of fell to watching a poker game. Course my whole attention was on Ez. I recognised him from somethin', he was dressed like a peacock and he could make those cards dance. I ain't never seen anyone who can do that like Ezra.

"So I'm watching, when suddenly one o' the men stands up an' accuses Ez of cheating. Course Ez don't take too kindly ta this, and I know he ain't been cheating, even if something didn't sit right with me 'bout him. He tried to reason with the cowpoke, but he pulls a gun. 'Course my gun comes up too, just in-case it's needed. But Ez, cool as ya please, pops out his little derringer an' tells them 'gentlemen' to decide whether or not he's willing ta die over a card game.

"An' up another one gets, with his gun out. Then another, all accusing 'im of cheating. Seeing as how iffen I was caught I was bound to hang fer something I didn't do, I wasn't gonna stand by an' let them gun down another man just because they was losing to a professional gambler." Vin paused, unsure if Chris was still listening.

"Go on," Chris urged, swallowing a cough.

Vin nodded. "So I told them I'd been watching the game, thinking a cutting in even, and there'd been no cheating as I saw. Course these guys aren't none too pleased with that and start shooting the place up. Somehow me an' Ez got outside and to our horses." He paused again for a moment, smiling at the memory. "Weren't too soon after that I realised why I recognised him. He was wanted fer jumping bail in some fort. I outright asked him iffen he'd done what he was wanted fer, and he told me he 'may have had a run in at that particular venue'.

"So's I figured, he was guilty o' somethin', an' I needed the money. So I took him in. Fer a man I know can get outta any situation no matter what, he went along pretty willingly. I took him back to the fort, got the $200 he was wanted fer and rode on out before anyone recognised me. Next town I come to, I find none other than Ez, sittin' at the poker table. When he saw me he just smiled and winked. After that we just kinda travelled together. There'd be no point taking him back, they'd notice me more if I took him back again. Got ourselves a bit of an outlaw gang name once people started recognising the two of us. But there was only ever the two of us, and we never really went lookin' fer trouble." Vin smiled slightly.

"So how'd you die then? Or am I not allowed to ask you either?" Chris questioned, his voice growing fainter.

"You asked Ez how he died?" Vin said with a slight grimace, only he truly knew how much that question hurt his lover. "He don't like being asked that."

"I found out. So -- can you tell me?"

"Sure Cowboy, so long as you keep awake fer it," Vin promised.

"I... I will Vin. The most I've ever heard you talk. Can't miss it now." Weak humour, but at least he was trying.

"This ain't a happy story Cowboy -- fact, it's downright depressin' the whole way. Me an' Ez were attacked. They left him fer dead and dragged me back to Tascosa fer hanging. They didn't even bother gettin' my side of the story. Ezra figured where I was. But by the time he got there, there weren't much he could do.

"Now, I spent some time with the natives. So I believed in a world of spirits, where you lived on. But Ez -- well, he believed once you were dead, you were dead. An' because o' what we had -- the first good thing in his life he told me -- and we'd bin together a good ten years by that point. It hit him hard that he was alone again. Started gettin' reckless with himself.

"So 'course I decided to go to him, show him there was a spirit world, and we'd meet up again there when it was his time. He was like you at the start, couldn't believe, didn't want to. Drove himself so near to crazy I had to leave before he did something he and I both woulda regretted. But I still kept an eye on him.

"He settled in a little frontier town. Did some real good things fer them folks, no one ever knew t'was him though. He likes making everyone believe he's selfish and looks out only fer himself. He was killed saving the life of a little boy from a bear that'd come to close to town," Vin ended softly.

There was no response.

"Cowboy?"

"How come he don't like talking about it?" Chris asked.

Vin's eyes darkened a little. "He died alone Chris, without anyone he loved by him," he answered honestly.  
And suddenly Ezra's evasion earlier made perfect sense to Chris. "But you were waiting for him on the other side." Chris's voice was growing weaker with every passing word.

"I was," Vin said, knowing what Chris was doing. "An' I'm sure Sarah an' Adam'll be waiting fer you. But it ain't your time."

"Feels like it."

"Ez is gettin' help."

"How?"

Vin bit his lip. He didn't know. "He will get help Chris. Ez is stubborn that way."

"Noticed that."

"Don't ever tell him this Chris, but it's him that's your spirit guide. Not me. 'pparently you needed someone who could make you fight," Vin told him in a hushed whisper, as if he expected Ezra to appear at any moment.

"And why can't I tell Ezra?" Chris was confused now, and interested, and much less likely to slip away as soon.

"Could you really imagine him if he knew? He'd be headin' fer the hills faster than if he had a cougar on his tail." Vin smiled. A likely scenario should Ezra ever discover the level of responsibility he held with Chris. It wasn't that Ezra wasn't capable, Vin didn't think that, but it would destroy his lover to find he had to keep someone else safe, especially when the last time he'd had someone else's life in his hands, he had lost it. Vin had never blamed Ezra, but it was a guilt Ezra could not let go of.

"Reckon so," Chris laughed wheezingly.

Part 3

"Take the next left," Ezra said as they came to the next junction. Nathan was driving, surprisingly fast for the usually law abiding man. (Secretly, beneath his worry over Chris, he was enjoying getting to drive fast with the sirens on. He never usually got to.)

"How do you know the directions?" Buck asked suspiciously, still not entirely convinced this wasn't just JD, even though he knew the younger man would never joke like this.

"As illegible as Mr. Larabee's handwriting is, I read the directions. Next left and the second turn on the right."

Nathan took the next corner.

"So... Ezra... why have you come to us?" Josiah asked.

Ezra looked at him for a long moment before replying. He knew exactly what Josiah wanted to know, but Ezra was not in the habit of giving away information so readily. "Mr. Larabee is in danger." He gave the predicable, and obvious answer.

"And what is your connection with Chris?" Josiah asked, well versed in getting facts out of unwilling suspects or upset victims.

The grin that lit JD's face was most definitely not his. "Mr. Sanchez, I am glad to see I was correct in my analysis of your character." He had pegged Josiah and JD as being the most open minded, and therefore the most receptive to the idea of spirit guides and the supernatural world in general. But he had known that he would need Josiah's worldly knowledge to help convince Buck and Nathan to believe in him. Those two had their minds closed to him almost completely, like his own had been to Vin.

"Take a right at the next corner, then two blocks down take another left." He turned his attention back to Josiah, ignoring the wave of tiredness that assaulted him. "I and my companion, Vin Tanner, who is currently with Mr. Larabee are spirit guides."

Josiah nodded, as if it all made perfect sense. "Two of you? Is it not only powerful psychics who have more than one guide?"

Ezra shrugged. "I'm just along for the ride. Vin does all the actual work, after all, gentlemen do not engage in menial labour."

Josiah nodded again, more slowly.

"Spirit guides?" Buck questioned.

Ezra didn't answer, fighting off another wave of tiredness, obviously he wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.

"Spirit guides are known from the native American culture," Josiah answered. "They believe that each person has a guide from the spirit plane, normally in the shape of a totem animal. This spirit guide will help that person to make their life choices, and protect them from the evil spirits. The psychics the police use all have a guide as well, a spirit that breaches the gap between the spirit plane and ours. Psychics never speak directly to spirits, only with their guide and protector; it's for their protection more than anything else. Evil spirits can attack and hurt the person." Josiah looked to Ezra. "Am I right?"

Ezra nodded. "On the last point most definitely, as to the rest I'm afraid I don't know. I know very little about either the spirit world or the guides," he admitted.

"Where to now?" Nathan asked.

Ezra looked. "End of the street turn right. You then need to look for Primrose Avenue, and it's number 15... Oh, good Lord!" he said, pressing a hand to JD's eyes.

"What?" Nathan asked, glancing to the side.

"Possessing someone is a lot more difficult than television makes it appear. And much more tiring."

"What about JD?" Buck asked, worried suddenly.

"He'll be just fine Mr. Wilmington, he's been kind enough to allow me the use of his body for this long."

"He knows you're there?"

"You hardly expect me to do something like this without asking? Once he understood the reason, Mr. Dunne was most helpful. However, I need to leave now. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up. I shall check on Mr. Larabee." With that, Ezra relinquished control.

There was a collective silence until JD took a deep breath and virtually exploded. "That was SO COOL!" he gushed, before his whole demeanour changed and he became serious. "We need to hurry, Ezra showed me an image of Chris when he last saw him, and he doesn't look good."

Nathan took the turn into Primrose Avenue, he had cut the sirens at the last turn. "Where's number 15?" he asked.

Buck pointed past him. "I don't know, but that guy looks to be in an awful hurry."

"And that's Chris' car!" JD pointed out.

Nathan pulled the car over, blocking the man's driveway, and the four got out of the car.

"Sir, we're looking for the driver of that car," Josiah said, his hand hovering near his gun, just in case he needed it.

The man looked up startled, they each recognised the decision the man made when his arm twitched, as one gun raised to fire at them, three went off. JD's and Josiah's deliberately missing and driving little furrows into the grass on either side of the man, while Buck winged him in the arm holding the gun, causing it to drop.

"I'll stay here. Get to Chris," Josiah said.

"Where'd the ghost say he was?" Buck asked.

"Basement!" JD supplied.

The three men rushed into the house.

Part 4

Ezra materialised inside the basement as soon as he had left JD, appearing as tired and as worn as he felt (he would not be trying that again any time soon). "Vin," he called into the darkness. "Chris?"

"Here Ez," Vin called back.

"Is Chris--"

"I'm here Ez." The voice was weak, but unmistakeably Chris'.

"Good, because I doubt your companions would be best pleased if you were elsewhere." Ezra smiled when he heard the thumping on the floor above. "And it would appear they have arrived."

"How..." Chris broke off, coughing. "How'd you do it?"

Ezra smiled, a flash of gold catching whatever light there was in the dark room, though how, Chris would never know. "Magic Mr. Larabee. Magic," came the answer.

Chris gave a wet sounding chuckle before he started coughing again. The lights went on.

"Chris?" Buck called.

"Buck!" Chris gasped out.

Buck saw him and the girl. "Jesus. H. Christ! Nathan!"

Nathan had already pushed past and was kneeling beside Chris and checking him over.

JD stood to the side, as Buck untied and put his coat around the girl and Nathan put pressure on the gunshot wound, staring straight at Ezra and Vin, who had moved to stand beside each other.

Ezra, seeing that they were the focus of JD's gaze flashed him a dimpled smile and a wink.

Epilogue

A week later Chris was released from hospital and was back in his own apartment. His team had invited themselves round, indicating that they needed to talk. Chris was just glad to be back in his apartment, and free to tell Vin and Ezra to shut up and leave him alone when he wanted to. Having Ezra talking and shuffling those damned cards the whole time he was in hospital, and being unable to tell him to go away because the staff would think he was losing his mind, hadn't been pleasant.

He was also very glad to have the case wrapped up. What Ezra had told him he had gotten from the girl was corroborated by Hewitt. After Abigail had come to live with him, he had found himself harbouring inappropriate desires towards the young teenager. So, in a sick effort to get over it, he kidnapped another girl, Emma Carter, who was around the same age, same psychical build and with a bit of hair dye was a replica of his niece. Abigail had, one night after being out with friends, stumbled upon her uncle's secret. Knowing he couldn't let her tell anyone, he had tied her up and locked her in the basement. After disposing of Emma, he had returned and lived his fantasies with his niece. He reported her missing so no one would become suspicious, and kept her locked up in his basement for almost three years before he accidentally killed her. After that he had kidnapped two other girls and done the same thing as he had with Emma Carter, all within the following fifteen years. The girl they had found had been missing for nearly two years.

Yes, Chris was very glad they had wrapped up this case.

He didn't mind that the others were coming over either. They deserved some kind of explanation for all of this. Vin and Ezra were engaged in a poker game, seated Indian style on the floor on either side of the coffee table. Ezra's face was inscrutable as he looked at his cards, though his conversation with Vin was light and cheerful.

After what Vin had told him about Ezra, Chris had looked at him a little differently, wondering if he would have reacted the same way as Ezra had Sarah returned to him. That Ezra was his spirit guide made sense in a way. He understood what it was like to lose a loved one in a manner he couldn't have hoped to prevent, but wished to God he could have.

The door of the apartment opened as Buck let them all in with his key. "Hi Chris," he called, looking round, as if he expected to see something odd.

"Buck," Chris nodded, ignoring the conversation from the coffee table ("Do you suppose Mr. Wilmington would be more comfortable if we donned sheets and made 'whooo' noises?"/"Don't rightly know Ez. Maybe we should try.")

The others filed in, JD, much to Chris' surprise, was fighting back a smile, almost as if he could hear the ghosts' comments, this was confirmed when he nodded in their direction and said, "Hey."

"He can see you!" Chris hissed, shooting an accusing look at Ezra; somehow this was all the southern ghost's fault.

Ezra shrugged easily. "Obviously when I took possession of him something remained with him to allow us to be seen."

"It can happen Cowboy," Vin added.

"Cowboy?" JD spluttered, trying to smother his laugh, without much success it must be noted.

Josiah smiled knowingly.

Nathan and Buck, determined not to be too closed-minded about this, shared a confused look. Ezra and Vin shared a cheeky smile, and Chris heaved a deep, put upon, sigh. Readying himself to explain.

End Episode 5 There now. Took me ages to get this typed up. Sigh. Hope you enjoyed and I hope you will review.

1. Josiah, Buck and Nathan cannot see or hear Vin and Ezra (I will at some point rectify this if I ever get a new computer to write with).

2. If you're going to borrow, have fun. 


	4. Episode 6

Cold Case Episode 6:  
Unspeakable (Cold Case)  
by BML

Summary: When a murderer dies in prison his journel leads the police to believe he had n accomplice. But communing with the murderer could prove fatal for Ezra. Open AU: Chris heads a cold case unit at the Denver PD, with a little help from the Afterlife.  
Mild Slash: Vin/Ezra Author's Notes: In this I will attempt to make the others see and/or hear Vin and Ezra, as well as getting some Ezra Owies in. LOL.  
Warnings: Some derogatory language and some scenes of torture.

Part 1

Chris rubbed the bridge of his nose and wondered just how things had gotten this bad. Vin was gone, searching the spirit world for Ezra. Chris tipped back a shot of whisky, hoping it would relieve his headache, all the while knowing it would not. This headache was a direct result of Ezra's disappearance.

And to think, twenty-four hours ago everything had been normal.

24 hours earlier

It was five in the morning when Chris rolled out of bed and made his way into the kitchen, where he found his two live in-ghosts at the table. Vin was seated, his feet crossed on the table top, dressed in jeans and a buckskin jacket.

JD had questioned them on how they changed clothes; he had thought ghosts couldn't do such things. He'd been told they could just think about it and it happened, they couldn't explain it. Ezra was dressed stylishly in slacks and a shirt, with a jumper over the top. He could have passed for a rich playboy.

He was currently looking mournfully at the coffee maker on the counter. With a wicked smile that he quickly hid, Chris strode in and turned on the pot. "Like a mug, Ez?" he asked.

That earned him a glare. "That was a low blow Chris, a truly low blow. Not only was I forced to rise at this ungodly hour by the early bird here, but now you taunt me with coffee? You are cruel, Mr. Larabee, cruel and cold."

Vin shook his head in bemusement and Chris grinned at him, but no apology was forthcoming. Ezra heaved a sigh and muttered something akin to 'Neanderthals'.

Chris took a cup of coffee and sat at the table, considering what needed to be done at work. Thinking about work no longer left a feeling of dread in Chris. For about a month now his team had known about the existence of Vin and Ezra, JD could even see and hear them, so he thankfully no longer had to justify his 'feelings' and 'hunches'. Though Buck and Nathan were both having a hard time coming to terms with the whole idea. Since Chris had actually been back in work after the shooting, they had started a major overhaul on the cold cases. Chris was not the kind to just sit around and wait for new evidence to be brought in. Cases weren't solved by sitting around and waiting.

All in all things had been going well. The drive to work started out in companionable silence, mostly because Ezra was still in his morning slump. Chris glanced over to Vin and shook his head when he saw him in what looked to be a seat belt, a quick look in the mirror showed Ezra looking the same.

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

Vin looked at him. "What?"

"Look like you're wearing seatbelts when you can't."

Vin shrugged.

"To make it easier on those who can see us," Ezra answered.

Chris shot him a look.

"There are many kinds of people who can see ghosts, Chris. There are people like you, who open their minds to us in grief and despair; those who are born with the gift and sight; and those who actively go searching for the spiritual plane to make contact. Now, the first and last of these requires Spirit guides because their minds were never ready for the impact of the spirit world. The second I mentioned, those who can see ghosts from birth, don't have a connection to the spirit world but can see ghosts that are in the human plane. You can't see any other ghosts, but there is most likely someone out there who can see us. It is easier on their sanity if those of us who aren't angry and sorrowful or vengeful behave like any other person on the street."

"So what is JD?"

"I'm still sure it was just my possession of him that left him able to see us. He doesn't appear to have been able to see before. Oh, he believed, but he couldn't see anything of the spirit world"  
"So if you possessed the others, would they be able to see you?"

"Doubtful. Though Mr. Sanchez believes enough, so he could possibly see us after a possession. But it's tiring work and I'd prefer not to do it again."

JD had enthused at great length about being possessed and the fact he could now see ghosts. Ezra had taken to the young man immediately, enjoying the opportunity to shoot off a little and the idea of a conversation that didn't die out on one side in the space of three sentences.

Chris found it amusing and silently agreed when Vin called him a Peacock showing off his feathers.

The drive ended not long after. Chris walked on, anticipating another day checking over old profiles and seeing if he could improve on them, or seeing something that might have been missed. What he didn't expect was to enter the Cold Case unit to be faced with three grim faces. JD's greeting to the ghosts was also subdued.

"What?" Chris asked. Buck held out a file for him to take while Josiah explained.

"Marcus Hograve died this morning. They were clearing his cell and found a journal he'd kept."

"Hograve? Wasn't he the serial killer in the 80s, killed fourteen men because they were gay?"

Josiah nodded. "Sodomised and tortured them before killing them."

"Wonderful," Ezra sighed.

Vin shot him a look but said nothing, not liking where this was going.

"In his journal he talks about an accomplice. It had never even been considered he might have had help before, but from his accounts he couldn't have killed so many alone. They want us to find the other killer."

Chris looked round at the ghosts. Vin looked unhappy, but nodded at the silent request and vanished to search for either the spirit of the murderer or his victims. Ezra settled on the edge of a nearby table to wait.

"Where's Vin going?" JD asked.

"To find the murderer in question, JD," Ezra answered.

JD looked at Ezra and frowned. "Is that safe?"

Ezra appeared thoughtful for a long moment before shrugging. "Vin can handle it. He'll probably be easier to find. Malevolent ones usually are."

"But can it hurt Vin? I know it can't kill him or anything, but can it hurt him?"

Ezra shrugged in deliberate unconcern, all the while wondering the same thing.

"There were survivors, right?" Chris asked, ignoring JD and Ezra, and the closed look on Buck's face as JD talked to the ghost. His old friend would come around, he knew he would.

"Three," Buck responded.

"Right then, you and Josiah get onto the survivors and find out as much as you can. JD, go through the archives; see if you can find any cases that look likely after Hograve was imprisoned."

"Gotcha Chris." JD spun his chair to his computer and started pulling up files.

"Ezra," Chris said.

Ezra rolled his eyes and made his way to Chris' office.

When Chris followed him, shutting the door behind him, the first thing he asked was, "Will this be okay? Can you commune with a malevolent spirit?"

"Communing with a malevolent spirit is much the same as with a normal spirit, we just have to be sure it is contained and cannot attack."

"Vin can contain it?"

Ezra nodded. "Vin is quite adept at setting traps, Mr. Larabee; he can contain it."

"Is this going to be an 'unspeakable' commune?" Chris asked.

Ezra shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Look, this case hits a little close to home for you guys. We can do this the old fashioned way."

Ezra's eyes hardened. "I would rather not spend any more time than is necessary on this case, if you don't mind. And mine and Mr. Tanner's relationship should not come into question at all in regards to this -- Vin?"

Chris blinked for a moment at the sudden change in conversation before realising Vin was behind him.

"'E's ready for you, Ez." There was a hint of something behind those words.

Ezra nodded. "Join me when you have finished your report, if you would."

"Sure Ez."

Chris marvelled at the sheer amount of silent concern, assurances, and conformation of mutual feelings that passed between them. When Ezra had said they were subtle, he meant subtle."

Ezra vanished.

Chris turned to Vin with a raised eyebrow.

"Found Hograve, new dead are always easiest to find. I'll be back when I get the story off Ez," Vin said quietly.

Chris nodded. This was definitely going to be an unspeakable.

Vin vanished.

Chris settled himself to wait for his return when he was suddenly hit by an overwhelming pressure behind his eyes that blossomed into a full scale headache that threatened to burst through his skull. He knocked his phone and hit speed-dial one -- Buck -- before he collapsed, his chair falling with a loud clatter to the floor.

Chris' last thought was for Ezra -- knowing something had gone wrong.

Part 2

Just as Buck pulled out his mobile to check who was calling he heard a great crash from Chris' office. In an instant Buck was wrenching the door open. "Chris?" he asked, then he saw Chris sprawled over the floor. "Get Nathan!" he yelled back to the others.

It was unnecessary, as Josiah was already calling Nathan. JD pushed into the room and looked around, searching for the ghosts.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.  
Buck knelt beside Chris and straightened him up a bit. Worried when he realised Chris was unconscious, though his face was twisted as if something was hurting him bad.

"Aw Shit!"

JD spun to face Vin, who looked worried and a little panicked, his shoulders slumped in frustration. "What's wrong?" JD asked. When Vin looked at him he was shocked by the pain in his eyes.

"Ez is gone. Hograve broke his bindings somehow."

JD's eyes widened. "Will he be okay?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Is that why Chris collapsed?" JD questioned.

Vin nodded. "It means Ezra's in trouble."

"Will Chris be okay?"

"If I find Ezra in time. Tell him what happened. I'll be back when I find Ez."

With that Vin vanished.

Buck looked at JD, torn between whether he should set aside his disbelief and ask JD who he had been talking about or to just wait for Nathan and a normal explanation.

"Ezra's gone missing, that's why Chris is hurting," JD informed him.

Buck decided he wanted a normal explanation.

There wasn't a long wait before Nathan arrived, clutching a first aid kit. He knelt beside Chris, opposite to Buck. "What happened?" he asked.

JD bit his lip, knowing his input wouldn't be appreciated, Nathan didn't understand about the ghosts, not yet.

"There was a crash in here; he was like this when I came in," Buck said.

Nathan frowned at Chris' scrunched up face and gently peeled back an eyelid and shone the little penlight from the first aid kit into his eyes.

Immediately Chris groaned and turned his head away, blinking slowly as he woke up. "Wha--" he cut himself off with a hiss of pain, screwing up his eyes in agony. With an effort he peered through blurred vision until he found JD. "Wha' happened?" he gritted out.

JD shifted nervously. "Vin said Hograve broke his bindings and Ezra's disappeared."

"Chris! Chris, where does it hurt?" Nathan asked, forcing back the doubting words that rose up when the ghosts were mentioned.

"My head," Chris answered shortly. "Is Vin..." He hissed as another wave of pain hit him.

"Vin went after Ezra."

"Good -- Nathan, give me a painkiller or something," Chris said, his eyes screwed up.

"Chris, I need to make sure you're okay. Did you hit your head? You may have a concussion or something," Nathan protested.

"I didn't hit my head. Just give me a painkiller and I'll go home," Chris said, fighting back the urge to throw up.

"Maybe we should take you to hospital," Nathan worried.

Chris barked out a laugh. "And tell them what? That my head hurts like hell because something happened to my spirit guide? I don't think they'll believe that Nathan. Just give me a painkiller and let me go home."

Nathan looked ready to argue, but subsided when he saw the stubborn set to Chris' jaw. "Fine, but someone drives you home, and we'll come over tonight to make sure you're really okay," he reasoned.

Chris nodded, a testimony to just how much pain he was truly in if he was agreeing so easily. "JD, keys are on my desk," he said. "Buck, Josiah, get onto the victims, find out what you can. Solve this case for me."

JD hurried to get the keys while Chris was helped to his feet. He moved ahead of Chris out of their little corner of the station and to the car park.

Exchanging worried looks, the others went back to work.

Ezra blinked slowly as he came back to awareness, he knew what had happened, he just couldn't even begin to comprehend how. He trusted Vin implicitly, Hograve had been contained, of that there was no doubt. But how had he broken the bindings?

Ezra shifted a little, hoping to find out if he was alone, or if Hograve was still hovering about. His movements ended up tearing a cry of pain from him as something tightened almost unbearably round his neck, and a sharp pain shot down his chest.

"You know," came a rather conversational voice to his left. "This is actually a lot easier now than it was when I was still alive. Then I had to set everything up, prepare everything so that it was within easy reach, and the cleanup afterwards was the worst. But now I just have to think it and it happens."

Ezra had managed to catch sight of Hograve and watched him with growing apprehension.

"Take this for example," Hograve continued, tone still conversational, as if he was discussing the weather. "I always enjoyed ripping the little faggots to pieces, but it was always so much work to tie them up with this," he held up a long strand of barbed wire. "Always a chance I'd cut myself and leave evidence on the body. That's how they caught me, you know, because of this." The murderer considered the wire in his hands before grinning wickedly. "But I always did like the effect."

In an instant Ezra found himself in the most painful situation he'd ever been in, alive or dead. His arms were above his head, barbed wire holding his wrists pinned together, two long threads of it wrapping around his arms in a spiral the whole way to his shoulders, where they crossed his neck in a noose. Not enough to break skin, but tight enough that they would tear the skin right off if he made a sudden move.

"Now, you can't die on me, so I'm curious how long I can keep you like this. I once had a faggot who lasted three whole days, until the wire crushed his throat. If you can't die, and you don't really need to breathe, how long can you hold out before you go crazy?"

Ezra swallowed uncomfortably. "Why--" he licked his lips as speaking put pressure on his throat and the barb that was dangerously close to there. "Why me?" he finally got out.

Hograve leaned over him and grinned nastily. "Because I don't like faggots."

Ezra strove for a neutral look, but the very real threat of harm to his being made it more difficult. After his first real encounter with malevolent spirits, when he and Vin had first joined Chris, he had sworn never to go head to head with them again. Obviously luck was not on his side.

"What makes you think I am a 'faggot'?" He inwardly winced at the crude word.

"Oh, I know. I have a sixth sense about these things. Now, shall we play?" Hograve asked, looking past Ezra to a spot just outside Ezra's line of vision.

The pain was so unexpected, Ezra didn't know where it came from, or what had caused it, but it brought forth a scream of agony as the wire dug into his arms and neck as he writhed in pain.

Part 3 Vin could not pick up Ezra▓s trail. It was as if his lover had just vanished, which was impossible unless he had moved on, or had faded. He knew Ezra would never have moved on without him, and given the situation the more likely reason was the second. But he would not allow himself to believe that Ezra had faded.

He refused to feel guilty about Hograve, he knew he had contained him completely, he would never put Ezra in that kind of danger. So something had happened┘

Then it clicked and Vin cursed. Redoubling his efforts to pick up any trace of Ezra▓s presence, or Hograve▓s, Vowing to destroy the murdering scumbag if he had hurt Ezra. It took some time, but finally his face lit up in a feral grin as he picked up the dark scent of Hograve▓s rail.

48 hours had passed, slowly, and for Chris, painfully. He didn▓t know how time worked in the spirit world, but it was a long time in this one. He hoped Vin was close to finding Ezra. Sleep had evaded him completely for the second night running, and just when he thought his headache was beginning to lessen (though whether that was a good thing or not he wasn▓t entirely sure), there would be a sudden spike. If it was this bad for him then he hated to even consider what must be happening to Ezra.

As promised the others had invaded his apartment for the second night running, camping out. Josiah had taken his bed once he realised no use was going to be made of it. Stating that one of them needed to be well rested for work the following day. JD had curled up on one end of the couch that he and Buck were sharing, sleeping. Buck on the other hand was still wide awake, and watching Chris in concern. Nathan was in the kitchen making yet another pot of coffee.

Josiah and Buck had given him their reports, and in the ebbs between spikes of pain he considered what he had been told. They had spoken to all of the survivors over the past two days, and none of them had yielded anything concrete on a second person▓s involvement. One had told them he had been sure he had been violated at one point during his captivity, but when he had escaped there had been no sign of any sexual activity. The others had said they had felt like someone other than Hograve had been with them, but they had never seen anyone else, so they couldn▓t be sure it hadn▓t just been their imaginations running wild in the sick situation.

All in all it was a confusing case. Even JD had come up with nothing. Murders or abductions similar to Hograve▓s were non-existent. Even a rundown of Hograve▓s family, friends and work mates yielded nothing. To all appearances the man had worked alone.

Chris bit back a groan as another wave of pain crashed against his skull.

⌠Chris?■ Buck asked worriedly.

⌠M▓fine Buck.■ he answered.

Nathan snorted from the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, a new cup of coffee in his hands.

⌠Look, if it▓s the ghost that something▓s happened to, why are you the one getting hurt?■ Buck asked, frustrated at being unable to do anything to help his friend.

⌠He▓s my spirit guide Buck, I don▓t know how this works.■ Chris sighed, leaning back. ⌠And I think he▓s getting hurt, badly. I▓m just feeling the backlash.■

⌠But how can a ▒spirit guide▓ feel pain? They▓re dead if that▓s what you want me to believe.■

⌠Chris!■

Chris turned in surprise, groaning when his headache returned full force. ⌠Vin?■

Buck let out a frustrated sound, this was all getting to be too much!

⌠I found Ezra, but he▓s in bad shape. I can▓t get him away from the Hograve brother▓s without help. The only way I can do that is by bringing them here, to this plane. They▓ll be weaker here. But so will me an▓ Ez. I need you to help me stop them.■ Vin explained hurriedly.

Chris nodded immediately, and Vin looked so relieved that Chris wondered if the ghost had thought his request would be refused.

Vin nodded shortly and vanished.

It was then that Chris latched onto something Vin had said as the pain ebbed a little. ⌠Brothers?■ he turned to Buck, more slowly this time to keep his head s clear as he could. ⌠Did Hograve have a brother?■ No one had mentioned one, and he hadn▓t be able to pursue the file.

It was JD who answered, looking very alert for someone who had just woken up, which meant he had woken when Vin had arrived back. ⌠He had one, ten years older than him I think. Died young, about twenty or something. Why?■

An idea formed slowly in Chris▓ mind. Nothing seemed too far fetched anymore since Vin and Ezra had entered his lives. ⌠What did he die of?■ he asked.

JD thought for a moment. ⌠Emm┘ AID▓s I think. Why--? Oh, oh, OH!■ he cried, catching up.

Chris nodded.

Buck looked between them in confusion. ⌠Mind letting me in on the revelation?■ he asked.

Chris was about to answer when the living room exploded into a flurry of sound and motion as Vin returned, bringing Ezra and the two malevolent spirits with him.

Part 4

Vin approached the darkness created by the Hograve brothers, sneaking in past their defences, knowing he couldn▓t strike yet, no matter how tempting it truly was to do so. They could be gone in an instant should he alert them to his presence. He could afford to let them go, not when the could so easily take Ezra with them. He listened with growing rage to what they were saying.

He had yet to hear Ezra speak, a worrying enough act in and of itself, the only reason he knew he was even still here and not almost completely faded was the harsh rise and fall of his chest. Ghosts and spirit guides did not have to breathe, it was just a reflex from their time alive, if he had given up and was ready to fade completely all such actions would have stopped.

⌠I▓m coming Ez.■ he whispered quietly.

He had never brought a malevolent spirit to the human plane before. But he knew it was where they were weakest. They had to possess someone soon after arriving or they would be forced to return to the spirit world. Vin was confident he could make sure they didn▓t possess any of Chris▓s team, but more importantly still, Ezra would be safe there until he could get rid of the Hograve▓s for good.

Taking a breath to steel himself, ready for what he had to do, he straightened and forced his own presence into theirs, breaking through that darkness as he strode towards them. He knew he had the upper hand when his first shot slammed into the elder brother, who was standing far too close to Ezra for his liking, knocking him backwards. The next shot took out the younger.

It wouldn▓t hold for long.

Hurrying to Ezra he grimaced when he saw him. He reached down and brushed Ezra▓s hair off his face, willing the wire to vanish, relieved when it did. He gripped Ezra▓s hand and pulled him up, steadying him, taking most of his weight because Ezra was not all there at all. He turned cold eyes to the brother▓s who were struggling back from his shots, yelling incoherently.

⌠You want him?■ Vin asked, knowing they did not have the capacity to understand anything but the fact their prey was being rescued. Knowing they would have to chase it down. ⌠Follow me.■ He disappeared from their view, leaving a clear trail back to the human world, arriving just a moment or two before they did.

And the room exploded into noise and motion.

Chris did not notice much going on with his team, much more focused on the scene before him. Vin had let Ezra drop slowly, and the usually graceful ghost sprawled where he landed. Not awake as such but not fully out of it either, he was going see-through again. Now that Chris understood what that meant, he was even more concerned.

⌠Vin?■ he called.

Vin didn▓t even turn to him, taking a stance to protect his fallen lover. ⌠Will him to fight. I need his help.■ Vin hated to force his lover to fight, but he needed the help to weaken them enough to protect the living from possession, and he knew Ezra would fight for that if not for himself. Then he would take them back and kick their asses.

⌠How?■ JD worried, eyes wide and frightened by what he saw. He liked Ezra, seeing him like this was a very disturbing sight.

Ezra groaned and moved a little, but he ended up grunting in pain as Vin was forced back, accidentally kicking him in the side. Vin struggled, grappling, but losing his ground. ⌠Ezra!■ he grit out in desperation.

Suddenly a shock rang out, forcing the malevolent spirit back, Ezra lay panting heavily, still not fully solid, a tiny derringer smoking in his hand. A louder blast followed as Vin managed to bring his mares leg into play. Vin sent off another shot, and another, making sure the Hograve▓s were back far enough that he could keep them incapacitated long enough to gather his remaining strength to get rid of them completely.

⌠Mr. Larabee┘■ Ezra said, his voice weak, but the words almost normal sounding. ⌠I feel the need to inform you that there is no living accomplice.■

⌠Figured that out Ez.■ Chris smiled in relief. ⌠Now what?■

⌠Ez stay▓s here and I go take care of these two.■ Vin replied, his face settling into a feral expression as his gun went off again.

Ezra▓s hand moved towards Vin before it flinched back when he realised it was covered in blood. ⌠Vin.■ he said instead, almost unheard.

⌠Don▓t worry Ez, I▓m ready for the bastards this time!■ Vin told him.

Ezra looked like he wanted to argue, but h dropped his head in a nod and struggled to his feet, stepping back and away from Vin. Then the room fell completely silent as suddenly as when it had exploded with noise.

⌠You Ok Ez?■ JD asked in a hushed whisper.

Ezra looked down at himself, seeing that he was still not completely there, and at his bloodstained clothes, and the marks they hid. It would take a long time for those marks to fade, he knew that. ⌠I am tired Mr. Dunne, but that is all.■ he lied easily, not wanting the boy to worry.

⌠I suppose there wouldn▓t be much point in me taking a look at your arms, would there?■ Nathan asked, bringing everyone▓s attention to the other▓s in the room, to Buck▓s shell-shocked expression, Josiah▓s knowing smile that was tainted with a trace of concern, and Nathan▓s disbelieving but resigned expression.

⌠I don▓t believe so, no.■ Ezra answered, frowning in some confusion.

⌠They can see you!■ JD exclaimed.

Buck swallowed hard, physically shaking himself out of his shock and nodding slowly, reluctantly.

⌠I can too, but he flickers in an out of sight, the way people do in disco▓s when the lights are going. I can hear him clearly though.■ Josiah responded.

⌠How come your going see-through Ezra?■ JD asked after assimilating Josiah▓s words, and noticing Ezra▓s non-solid state.

Ezra sighed deeply. ⌠An unfortunate side effect of being in the dubious company of malevolent spirits.■ he answered, his voice quiet.

There was silence, because even to those who could not see Ezra clearly, it was obvious he was hurting, and badly. Vin chose this moment to reappear behind Ezra, shooting him a concerned look when his lover just visibly flinched at his presence. He answered Chris▓ questioning stare with a slight nod. The Hograve brother▓s would not be coming back. ⌠Ez?■ he asked.

Ezra sighed. ⌠If you would excuse me gentlemen. I need to rest now.■

They didn▓t wait for any acknowledgement, just left.

Epilogue

⌠Ezra?■ Vin asked softly, taking a seat beside his lover, not touching him, a suitable distance between them. It was second nature to put the required distance between them to avert suspicions. Even when they were alone. But know that Ezra actually needed this physical distance hurt Vin. It had been days in the spirit world, a lifetime, and Ezra was not coping as well as he projected. If Vin hadn▓t spent ten years with the man in life learning to read in like a book, and a further hundred or more in the afterlife, he would never be able to tell just how shaken his lover truly was.

⌠Is it time?■ Ezra asked, pausing in his shuffling, ignoring that his hands were still not completely there, that his skin was practically translucent.

⌠Hmm.■ Vin answered. ⌠We don▓t have to.■ he offered.

Ezra shook his head. ⌠No, might as well get it over with.■

Vin got back to his feet and held out a hand to help Ezra up, hiding his surprise and elation that Ezra actually took it. Ezra had avoided any contact no matter what spirit it was given in. And when Ezra was standing that he didn▓t immediately snatch his hand back gave Vin hope that this was passing, and Ezra was healing.

⌠Shall we?■ Ezra asked slipping his hand away and stepping back.

Vin nodded.

Chris Larabee▓s living room was once against full of his team members, two days after the event there. Chris had given all of them a chance to think about what they had seen and what the believed or didn▓t. He didn▓t want to push it, but he did need to be certain his tam could still work together. Something like this changed things. Especially for those who did not believe to begin with.

⌠Gentlemen.■

Chris looked at Ezra. ⌠You ok?■

Ezra nodded, his lack of verbal response telling Chris what he needed to know.

JD was grinning madly from where he sat beside Buck, he had teased the other man mercilessly about not believing them over the last two days. And he could see by the somewhat resigned expression that Buck could still see Vin and Ezra.

⌠Shall we begin?■ Ezra asked when no one seemed likely to speak. He truly didn▓t want to be here. It wasn▓t in his nature to seek company after something of this magnitude, but hiding away would only make it that much more difficult to return to this. He knew that. He had felt the distance growing between he and Vin, and he couldn▓t stand it.

Time to get back in the saddle as the saying goes.

⌠I would like to know about this brother and what he had to do with it.■ Josiah suggested, keeping his eyes on the ghost▓s. They no longer flickered as much, staying in his vision for longer than they had before, before flicking out for a few moments and returning. It was a little dizzying, but fascinating really.

⌠Hograve▓s brother died of AID▓s, which I▓m fairly sure he got from another man. It explains Hograve▓s hatred of gay▓s.■ Chris said.

⌠His brother started it.■ Ezra announced quietly.

⌠His brother?■ JD asked.

Ezra nodded and let then draw their own conclusions.

⌠Make▓s sense.■ Nathan said with a shrug, once again surprising everyone with his calm acknowledgement of Ezra▓s words. ⌠If he died from AID▓s then he was obviously pissed at the other guy, and did some astral communing with his little brother and fed all these idea▓s of revenge into him┘ or something┘ What?■ the forensic pathologist asked self consciously. ⌠I read about it.■

Josiah laughed heartily and clapped Nathan on the back.

⌠An apt version of events Mr. Jackson.■ Ezra nodded.

⌠After he was dead?■ Buck finally spoke.

Ezra half smiled at that. ⌠Is it so difficult to believe, after all Mr. Wilmington, you are conversing with ghosts yourself.■

Buck lowered his head and muttered something indistinguishable, knowing he had been caught out there, and the room exploded into laughter as JD let his snickers escape and Josiah joined him, Nathan chuckling as Buck▓s neck turned red, though whether in anger or embarrassment was unknown as he couldn▓t help but join in ruefully.

Chris looked at them, and at Vin and Ezra, who shared a smile, Ezra shaking his head, as Vin▓s smile blossomed into a grin, and he felt something click and fall into place. He didn▓t know what. But it worked.

The End

Footnote: I just realised you might not know what I mean by ▒Fading▓, so to make sure I have covered all bases, Fading is basically when a ghost had their energy completely stolen by a malevolent spirit, who require this to survive themselves.  
I apologise for the long wait. But I have a new laptop now, so I can write and update quicker. I▓m toying with going back and doing Episode 2 or 3, or would you prefer if I did Episode 7, 8, 9 or 10? I▓m planning a movie for this little series as well, so you have that to look forward to.  
I also apologise for the oddness of this episode, it didn▓t turn out exactly as I had planned, but I thought it was kinda cute at the end. J 


End file.
